A Year In Hell
by HermioneGranger197
Summary: Jack finally comes clean to Ianto about what happened during the year that never was. Includes swearing, some adult content in later chapters and a pairing I don't actually ship MasterxJack with implied JackxIanto and DoctorxaAster
1. A Year in Hell

This has been stewing in my brain for a while, and I needed to gt it out. Enjoy!

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Ianto`s POV

Jack's been acting… different… since he came back. Like he's seen something; something horrible.

It all started when he came back, obviously. He was all smiles and laughs, until John showed up. Damn him! I should have been the first one he kissed when he got back! Although, his rhythm with me has seemed to have changed to; more of a 4 beat than his usual style…

Sorry, off topic. Jack and John had something in the past, that much I knew, but it seemed like more than that. Jack had told me about him, mentioned they were more than just roommates but it felt like he was grasping at someone, anyone.

Jack has always been very, ahem, open minded. And I will be honest, it's kinda hot sometimes. Yes, he is what he claims in the sack, but we are a lot more than that. He's talked to me about his immortality, how much it _hurts_ when he comes back, like being dragged over broken glass over and over. How he`s always glad to see my face on the other side, everytime he goes under, worrying that it will be the last time. But this time, it seems like he`s done a lot more than just the regular save-the-world-and-die-trying kind of thing…

Jack`s POV

Ianto knows.

I have no idea how much he knows, or what he suspects, but he`s been trying to find out what happened while I was gone. I gave him the usual: found my Doctor and we went on adventures. Saving the world and die trying kind of deal. I could feel that my eyes were giving me away, but that the hell could I do? Damn it, I love that man, but I don't think he could handle this.

Hell, I couldn't even handle it! The Master (my kind of name!) threatened the world, we saved it yadiyadiyada. But, while he had me up on the Valiant, I kept thinking. Honestly, from what the Doctor told me, he's not the kind of guy you want to know. I could tell in his voice that something had gone down between them (my guess is at the infamous Academy the Doctor mentioned) but he wouldn't talk.

Yes, I know. I have Ianto and I should never have had these thoughts but I couldn't help it! Harry Saxon was sexy and if I'm being honest like Ianto wants me to be, I'd tap that. I never expected he'd feel the same way…


	2. How much do I say?

Ianto's POV

Okay, so Jack has started opening up. After a particularly_ interesting _night we were cuddling on that (horrid!) bed of his when we asked me "Ianto, do you love me?"

" Of course Jack, who doesn't?" I joked.  
"No." he snapped "I need to know, honestly. Do you love me?"  
I tried to turn around in his arms, but he just held me tighter  
"Please?" he asked, pain so evident in his voice "Please Ianto?"  
"Of course Jack. I love you no matter what"  
That seemed to appease him slightly, and as his arms relaxed I rolled over and planted a soft kiss on his lips "I love you Jack Harkness and no one could ever stop that."  
Jack chuckled "Prove it"…

Jack's POV

I couldn't help it. I needed to know if Ianto truly cared for me. I can't even begin to describe how my heart flew when he said he did. Oh god, that sounded cheesy but it's true! And then he said he'd love me no matter what and my stomach clenched again. I need to tell him what happened. What that horrible, beautiful, evil man did. But maybe later. Afterall, I am the king of distraction…


	3. Need to come clean

Objective observer

"Ianto, can you come up to my office please? Gwen, Tosh, Owen, take the afternoon off. I expect to see you here normal time tomorrow though" said Jack with a smile through the intercom. Gwen and Tosh grinned at each other and winked at Ianto "Give Jack our best" they said giggling as they left. Owen merely rolled his eyes and continued out the door. Ianto made his way to Jack's office, and he paused outside the door. He couldn't hear Jack moving inside, restlessly pacing. Worried and intrigued Ianto opened the door.

"Ianto!" Jack cried and pulled the man into a crushing hug.

"Jack, what's wrong?" asked Ianto. This was not what he expected. He seated himself at his usual spot on the couch and shot Jack a confused look.

"Oh nothing, nothing. Say, would you like some tea? Coffee? Scotch?"  
"Jack, stop it. Something's wrong. Please tell me what it is" Ianto pulled Jack onto the couch beside him. "You can tell me anything."

"Damn it don't say that!" Jack yelled.

Ianto knew something was wrong now. Jack was, "are you crying?!" Ianto swept him into a hug and held him as the shook with barely suppressed sobs.

"I'm sorry Ianto. He was there and it was dark and it hurt so much. And he heard them! HE hears them too!" Jack babbled through his tears. Ianto was completely lost. "Jack, I don't understand". Ianto sat back a little bit and looked him in the eye. "Start from the beginning"

And Jack did.


	4. The Truth

Jack's POV

" I've told you all about my Doctor, the last Time Lord in the universe. Turns out he was wrong. There is another one called the Master. He is insane though, atleast that's what I thought. He came to Earth and took the name Harold Saxon and he ran for Prime Minister. The Doctor didn't recognise him at first because he used the Arch Angel network to conceal his Time-Lord-ness I guess. Not important. The Master will win the election and after he becomes Prime Minister, he claims to have been contacted by aliens called the Toclophaine. They are fake, souls of people living at the end of the universe that he stole and, when they broadcast the first encounter, will kill the president of the United States and, at the Master's command, 1 tenth of the population. This continues for a year, as the human race is decimated, few survive and The Master builds nuclear missiles to fire at other alien planets.

"He has my Doctor trapped in a cage, and the Master used his sonic screwdriver to make him look his 907 years old. He is weak and helpless. The Master strung me up naked and killed me for fun, torturing me until I begged for death but he also… Oh Ianto!"

I lost it, and sank back onto Ianto's shoulder sobbing. He let me stay there for a few minutes, soothing me, until he pulled back again and asked me to continue my story.

"He held me there Ianto for three months before I saw his face again. I'd thought he was handsome before but my thoughts had soured when I heard over the coms his command. But no humans or humanoids had spoken to me in months, and all I felt was pain. When he first came, I was under. When I came back, He was on his knees in front of me. He was sucking me off and had been for a while while I was under that I came right away. When he was done I thrashed and tried to get out, to hurt the man who had done this to me, to the human race. But he merely smiled and left, tapping the beat of 4 on his thigh as he walked.

"I didn't see him again for another month. Again, I was being tortured and he snuck up on me and entered me unprepared! It hurt and I thrashed, trying to escape, to see who was claiming me in a way only you are allowed. The rhythm he set was the four, the beats I have been hearing in my head for years now. I knew who it was and called his name, yelling at him to stop. It only made him go harder. When he finally finished I was so hurt and I was so ashamed. I love you Ianto, how dare he touch me like that, how dare anyone! I sobbed. He pulled a chair up infront of me and sat. When I stopped he looked me in the eye and drawled 'So freak, enjoy that?' I refused to answer, I would not give this, dashing, monster the satisfaction of my answer. 'I said' he screamed, hitting me with the electrified whip behind him 'did you enjoy that?!' No I screamed, the pain was too much. 'Fine. I'll be back then' he promised. 'And next time I won't be so gentle'.


	5. The Drums

Ianto held Jack. "I can't believe anyone could," but Jack hushed him. He wasn't finished.

"He came back many times, each time the same. He used me, then demanded if I enjoyed it. True to his word, he wasn't near as gentle as he was. Everytime, I was unprepared, and he used many things on my during. A laser screwdriver, whips, electricity, anything. Now, I'm not one to turn down a little bondage but this was… It was pain. I couldn't help it though. As his visits got more frequent, I started to enjoy it. The only real human interaction I had was with this man and it's hard to not feel anything when this is the only somewhat pleasant feeling you have.

"This went on for 6 months before I admitted that yes, I liked it. He seemed shocked at first, then smiled. 'I knew it.' He growled. 'The freak enjoys his punishment.' Ianto, the only way I enjoyed it, was because after I got over the pain, I could imagine it was you. That it was someone who cared about me, that it was anything but the truth. After I admitted it, things eased up. There was less torture and more pleasure until one day, he just came in and sat down in front of me. He ordered the guards to let me down and bring me clothing. Then, he mentioned the drums.

"I have heard these drums since the Arch Angel network was installed, I couldn't get them out of my head. And when he fucked me, he used that rhythm. It was everywhere and I feared I was going insane. He told me he hears them too, that he put them there hoping someone else would hear them and be able to save him from them. No one ever did. There was a backstory too, but I was so busy putting on clothes and massaging my wrist and focussing on healing I missed it. But I did hear it's been like this since he was a kid. And there was nothing I could do. After he was done, he strung me back up, stripped me and it started again."


	6. The End (?)

IAnto's POV

Jack finished his story but by then I had broken. It was so selfish of me, but I crawled into his lap and held him, sobbing for what my Captain had been through. It explained so much about how he'd been behaving and yet that made it worse. We had been irritated by it but never understood it. Now I did and I wished with y whole soul that I could take it back. Take the pain and horror away from my precious Captain. When he finished he looked at me again with those sad eyes, and a pleading look on his face and asked me again "Ianto, do you love me still? After all I did, after how much I liked it, liked him?"

I planted a searing kiss on his mouth and hugged him with all my might. "Jack, I told you before, there is nothing anyone could ever do to make me stop loving you. I wish I could take back what he did to you, but as I cannot, at least let me help you heal."

That night, after a… rehab session… I pulled Jack into my arms and whispered in his ear "I don't blame you, and I want you to know that I will love you until the otherside of forever" as we both drifted off to sleep.

As Jack and Ianto slept, a lonely man watched his old friend burn and as he turned away, missed the ring that fell from the fire…


End file.
